The second transnational meeting of the EVOLVE project took place at Malmö University in Malmö, Sweden on January 28-29. This meeting allowed the team to take stock of the training, recruitment, research and dissemination that had been carried out during the project’s first year. The meeting began with progress reports and discussion led by each of the work package leaders. This was followed by reports on findings and lessons learned from other concurrent projects and programs on virtual exchange, including the EVALUATE project (Robert O’Dowd) and Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange (Francesca Helm) and how these experiences could inform EVOLVE going forward.
The second day consisted of focused working groups tasked with finalizing the research protocols, strategizing promotion and institutional recruitment plans for the second round of training, developing data storing and coding procedures, identifying synergies between EVOLVE and Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange, and preparing for the meeting at the European Parliament in Brussels the following week. Also taking place on the afternoon was a clarifying discussion of the nature and original of virtual exchange. The project meeting concluded with a report on the draft of the baseline study, and a discussion of conference and dissemination plans.